1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for cooking food. More particularly, the present invention relates to a food steamer to cook foodstuffs, such as fish, meats, and vegetables.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices that are used to cook food with steam are well known in the art. More specifically, the cooking devices heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of cooking food are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed in the crowded art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,192 to Jovanovic is directed to a steam cooker that has a heater for creating steam and a convection heater for maintaining the ambient temperature in the cooking chamber. The convection heater is independent of the steam generating heater associated with boiling water for steam.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,109 to Shelton is directed to a food dehumidifier. The dehumidifier has two fans. One fan circulates air and the other fan blows ambient air into a water reservoir to reduce the temperature thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,893,319 to Bois is directed to an appliance for heating foodstuffs with steam. The appliance has a housing having a bottom and a sidewall, and has a cold water reservoir and a cooking chamber. The housing has a channel communicating with the exterior of the housing through a filling cover and with the interior of the housing through a flow opening emptying into the cold water reservoir.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,046 to Wanat is directed to a convection steamer. The apparatus includes a convector that urges steam upward. The apparatus also comprises a receiving portion for receiving a water reservoir, a timer, and a tilt top housing.
Even though these devices may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they differ from the present invention in that the present invention provides several unique features and advantages as hereinafter contrasted.
An object of the present invention is to provide a novel type of an apparatus for steaming food, especially a simple, convenient and rapid cooking apparatus.
In accordance with the present disclosure, an apparatus having a steam plate, an upper heater for heating the steam cooking plate, at least one upper steam pipe, an instantaneous steam generator, a lower heater associated with the steam generator, a lower water pipe, a pump and a water tank is provided.
The upper heater is installed under the steam cooking plate. The steam cooking plate heated by the upper heater defines a food steaming chamber along with a removable domed cover. The steam cooking plate includes a cooking surface for supporting food placed there on and at least one steam inlet port. The food-supporting surface may be flat or include a plurality of ridges or ribs. The foodstuffs being cooked are surrounded by the hot vapor and are well steamed.
The instantaneous steam generator is heated by the lower heater and is an effective means to quickly boil water and create steamed vapor. The steam generator includes an upper cover and a lower cover which are combined to create an inner sealed space, and includes a raceway-like track to hold the water between the two covers and create a highly pressurized heated chamber. The inner track surface of the steam generator increases the surface to contact water in order to heat the water quickly and easily.
The water in the water tank is transferred to the steam generator by operation of the pump through the lower water pipe, and the water in the inner sealed space of the steam generator is steamed by operation of the lower heater. The steam of the boiled water moves from the steam generator through at least one upper steam pipe and into the chamber formed by the steam cooking plate and the removable cover. The temperature in the chamber is maintained by the upper heater both during and after steaming.